When the former general secretary of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, Antoinette Cunningham, disclosed last month that she had written to the Garda Commissioner, suggesting that retired gardaí might be invited back to work in order to ease personnel shortages, there was immediate interest from the news media.

It would be good if her initiative could open up a broader debate on how policing can be better resourced in the community.

But despite the constant citing of garda shortages, no response has been forthcoming from the Government, Garda Headquarters, the Department of Justice or the Policing and Community Safety Authority. It is true that most of official Ireland goes “off message” in August. But it would appear that this is a conversation that nobody is keen to have.

It is a pity. “Retire and rejoin” has long been a feature of policing elsewhere, including England and Wales. It is commonplace in the United States and Canada.

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European countries including France, Italy and the Netherlands operate mechanisms through which retired officers will be called back as required. Germany operates a deferred retirement model under which officers can elect to serve on after retirement age with an annual renewable contract, subject to health and fitness.

In contrast, once gardaí reach retirement age, they are gone, their........

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